


The Strongest Wills

by Alyx17



Category: Deadpool (2016) RPF, Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, iron - Fandom
Genre: Oblivious Steve Rogers, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Teen Peter Parker, Timeline What Timeline, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has Issues, Wade Wilson Breaking the Fourth Wall, Wade Wilson Feels, Wade Wilson is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-08-02 19:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16311299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyx17/pseuds/Alyx17
Summary: The Avengers have saved the vanished half of the population, but the chaos and pain of the snap cannot be easily undone and the Universe is still reeling.ORFive Avengers who grudgingly accept help from Wade Wilson and the one Avenger who was strictly forbidden to





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony take down a human trafficking ring with unexpected help from the merc with the mouth.

The snap left Earth reeling. In the absence of half the world’s population, society collapsed beneath the weight of the survivors’ grief and panic. Lawlessness reigned as governments and militaries found themselves unequal to restoring the unprecedented level of chaos to order. Crime surged, and many who survived Thanos’s snap died in the ensuing riots. The Avengers largely ignored these terrible developments, too busy working frantically to reverse the snap. At long last, they managed to wrest the gauntlet from Thanos and release those trapped in the soul realm; but the Universe was irrevocably changed. 

 

People reappeared where they’d disappeared, leaving many in perilous situations that resulted in even more deaths. Understaffed and largely abandoned hospitals were suddenly flooded with the injured and disoriented. Some had even forgotten their previous lives entirely. The Avengers deployed to the last known locations of their allies, confirming that they’d returned. Miraculously, they all had; though many of them had sustained physical injuries, and all of them were haunted by the experience. After a brief recovery period, they all went their separate ways. T’Challa returned to Wakanda and his people. The Guardians of the Galaxy returned to orbit, taking Thor with them. Dr. Strange returned to his sanctum. Rhodey returned to the remnants of the U.S. Airforce. Scott and Clint returned to their families. 

 

The remaining Avengers reassembled by pure necessity and returned to their compound upstate.They’d saved the vanished half of the population, but the Universe was still thoroughly broken.  The task of restoring the Earth to order was massive and dizzying, but they couldn’t sit idly by and watch it devolve further. Reclaiming the lawless city of New York, they reasoned, was as good a place as any to begin. 

 

***

 

Tony gulped down his third cup of coffee, ignoring how it scalded his throat. He drummed his fingers on the lab table, waiting impatiently for F.R.I.D.A.Y. to finish analyzing the footage that his suit had collected earlier that night. “How much longer?” Tony demanded.

 

“Thirty minutes, boss.”

 

Tony groaned. 

 

“May I suggest some sleep, boss?”

 

Tony waved F.R.I.D.A.Y. off impatiently. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

 

“If you continue consuming coffee at your current rate, that may be sooner than you think.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. He was ostentatiously pouring himself another cup when he heard a knock on the door to the lab. He checked his watch, which read 4:05AM. “Who is it, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

 

“It’s Peter Parker, boss.”

 

Concerned, Tony hurried to let Peter into the lab. 

 

Peter was dressed in paisley pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt, looking considerably younger than his 16 years. Somehow, he looked even more tired than Tony felt.

 

“Pete? What are you doing down here?”

 

Peter shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d come check on you.”

 

Peter had barely slept for more than three hours at a time since his return from the soul realm. He never talked about it, but Tony knew he had nightmares because he could hear him screaming in terror from his bedroom across the hall. The one time he’d tried to broach the subject with Peter, he’d clammed up immediately. Better, Tony thought, not to push it. Otherwise, Peter would probably stop coming to find him when he couldn’t sleep.

 

“I’m fine,” said Tony dismissively.

 

“Really?” asked Peter, walking past him into the lab. “Because you look awful.” He rummaged around until he found an empty mug and poured his own cup of coffee. 

 

“Rude,” said Tony. “Coffee at 4 AM?”

 

Peter raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at Tony’s own cup of coffee. 

 

“I’m an  _ adult. _ Adults are allowed to drink coffee at 4 AM.”

 

Peter snorted and ambled over from the coffee machine to look over Tony’s shoulder. “What are you working on?”

 

Tony hesitated. What he was working on at the moment was decidedly fucked up, and definitely not suitable for a 16-year-old kid. Then again, this particular 16-year-old kid had been vaporized by a sadistic alien and trapped for months in an alternate dimension. “Trying to find someone. He slipped through my fingers a few hours ago.” 

 

“What did he do?”

 

Again, Tony faltered, then sighed. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., play the footage.”

 

“Got it, boss.”

 

Peter and Tony huddled together to watch. On screen, Tony broke into the back of an abandoned semi truck to find a group of women in a wretched makeshift cage. 

 

Peter inhaled sharply at the sight, sloshing some of his still hot coffee on his shirt and making Tony wince. Maybe he  _ shouldn’t  _ have showed him this. 

 

On-screen Tony used one of his suit repulsors to break the padlock on the cage, but the loud clanging brought curses and running footsteps. Tony whirled, placing himself between the women and whoever was coming. A man with small pinched features approached, dragging a girl who couldn’t have been older than 18 along with him. She was crying. The man gave Tony a mocking smile. “Iron Man! Our Lord and Savior!” He bowed dramatically, producing a gun from his jacket pocket and putting it to the girl’s head. She cried harder.

 

“Let her go!” Tony yelled. 

 

The man growled. “You think you’re the Messiah?  _ Look _ at the World you’ve created, Stark. You and those other circus freaks. And you dare mess with  _ my  _ livelihood?” The man spat at Tony’s feet. “You took _ everything _ from me.”

 

Tony jumped from the truck, moving towards the man with his hands raised. He turned his head towards the girl, speaking softly. “It’s alright,” he said. “I’ll get you out of here.” 

 

The man backed away from Tony, ensuring that his body was blocked by the girl’s, making it impossible for Tony to attack him without hitting her. “I’m leaving, Stark!” He yelled. “But since I can’t have you following me…”

 

He turned to the girl and shot her in the leg. She screamed, falling to the ground as blood pooled around her at an alarming rate. Tony rushed forward as the man ran past him to the back of the truck, slamming the door shut and heading for the driver’s seat.

 

Tony lifted his face mask, kneeling beside the girl. “F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” 

 

“Severed femoral artery, boss.”

 

Tony cursed. The truck pulled away, tires screeching. As much as he wanted to chase the bastard down, if he left the girl like this she would die within minutes. 

 

Tony turned off the footage, looking up at Peter, who had paled considerably. “Wh-why were they in that cage?” he asked slowly. 

 

Tony didn’t say anything, giving Peter a moment to work it out on his own. 

 

“ _ Oh, _ ” said Peter finally, looking sick. 

 

“Yeah,” said Tony, sighing. “This guy is one of the worst sex traffickers in New York and he’s been near impossible to track down. He’s gotten a bit reckless lately, so I managed to intercept one of his… shipments.”

 

“But he got away,” said Peter. 

 

“Yeah. He got away. F.R.I.D.A.Y. is running facial recognition to see if he’s been spotted anywhere since I lost him.”

 

Peter nodded. “The girl that got shot… is she ok?”

 

“Yeah,” said Tony. “Back with her family.”

 

Peter looked relieved. “I want to help,” he said immediately. 

 

Tony raised his eyebrows. “You haven’t been out in the suit since--”

 

“I know,” said Peter, interrupting. “I know. But-- I’m going crazy. I can’t just sit back while everything in New York goes to shit. You guys have all been working on this stuff for months and I’ve just been--” he shrugged helplessly, trailing off into silence. 

 

“You’ve been through a hell of a lot, Peter. No one expects you to take any of this on.”

 

Peter looked down, scuffing his feet on the laboratory floor. “Please, Tony. I need to do this. I need to  _ help _ .”

 

Tony looked up, surprised at the rare use of his first name. He mulled it over, thinking about how he’d been avoiding his own nightmares by working tirelessly on the post-snap surge in human trafficking. Who was he to deny that same escapism to the kid? “Alright. But I’m in charge here, got it? No going rogue.”

 

Peter nodded, sinking down in the chair beside Tony’s. The two of them waited another 10 minutes before F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke again. “We’ve got a hit, boss. The man you met last night is Marvin Walters. Former defense attorney. Last seen 45 minutes ago at a gas station in Brooklyn.” 

 

“Show me,” said Tony.

 

Walters appeared on the screen, nonchalantly filling the semi truck with fuel and wearing a bogus truck driver’s uniform. Like many businesses in the days post-snap, the gas station was dark and unoccupied looking, but the pumps were clearly still functioning.

 

“Let’s go get him,” said Peter, rising to his feet. 

 

“Hang on a second, kid. We need more intel before we go charging in. He could have gone any number of ways after the refuel.” Tony brought up some satellite images, following the truck to an abandoned warehouse on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.

 

“Okay,” said Tony. “That last image is from 10 minutes ago. Hopefully he’s still there. Suit up.”

 

Peter nodded, rushing up the stairs for his suit and returning about five minutes later. “Ready,” said Peter. 

 

Peter was wearing his old suit, and Tony couldn’t blame him. He’d been turned to ash in the other one.

 

“Let’s go,” said Tony.

 

***

 

Tony and Peter arrived at the warehouse, both tense with anticipation. 

 

“Karen,” Peter muttered. “Activate enhanced reconnaissance mode.”

 

Tony looked bemused. “You named your AI  _ Karen? _ ”

 

“She’s my computer wife.”

 

“Did you just make a  _ Spongebob Squarepants _ reference?”

 

Peter chuckled wryly, then stopped, listening hard. “They--there’s lots of people in there, Mr. Stark. At least ten.”

 

Tony confirmed that the kid was right, scanning the area and identifying ten distinct heat signals.

 

The sound of gunshots suddenly filled the air, emanating from the warehouse. Without a moment’s hesitation, Peter took off sprinting towards it. 

 

Tony cursed. “PETER!” he shouted.

 

With help from his repulsors, he caught up to the kid, grabbing him by the arm. “What did we say about rushing in without getting a sense of the situation first, huh?”

 

Agonized screaming joined the sound of gunshots. Peter tried to wrest his arm from Tony’s grip, but Tony just tightened his hold. “I know it’s hard. But we can’t just go barrelling in there. We don’t want them to know we’re coming.”

 

Peter tensed, but finally nodded. Tony dropped his arm, and together they crept towards the warehouse. They looked through the broken glass of a ground level window and saw a masked man in a red and black leather suit holding an assault rifle. He was surrounded by the bodies of several men and was stalking towards a lone man still on his feet. Tony recognized the sole survivor at once as Marvin Walters. 

 

The leather-clad man grabbed Walters by the throat, shoving him hard into the nearest wall. “Where are the girls, Marvin?”

 

Walters whimpered, hands scrabbling at the crushing force around his windpipe.

 

“I swear to Jesus, if you don’t tell me where they are right now, I’m gonna slice you up and dunk you in a tank of piranhas. And I’m being literal as fuck. I’ve got the piranhas.” 

 

The man released Walters, who fell to his knees, gasping. “They’ll kill me,” he choked. 

 

The man in leather growled, grabbing Marvin’s hair and tilting his head back, shoving the barrel of the assault rifle into his mouth. “ _ I’ll _ kill you. Last chance.”

 

“B-base-ment,” the man stuttered around the gun barrel. 

 

“See, was that so hard?” asked the man. Then he pulled the trigger, splattering the wall with Marvin’s blood.

 

Peter gasped in surprise, and Tony quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. 

 

The man in leather looked around him, and, satisfied that he’d dealt with all of Marvin’s underlings, he headed out of sight to, presumably, the basement. 

 

“Who was  _ that _ ?” Peter whispered as Tony removed his hand from his mouth.

 

“I don’t know,” Tony replied. “A rival sex trafficker maybe? F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” 

 

“A mercenary by the name of Wade Wilson. Alias Deadpool,” said F.R.I.D.A.Y. “A former international assassin given healing abilities by an organization known as the Weapon X program.”

 

“Shit,” muttered Tony. He was suddenly very much regretting his decision to bring Peter along. “Okay, kid. Stay behind me and do  _ exactly  _ as I say.”

 

Peter nodded. They entered the warehouse, heading the direction that Deadpool had gone until they found the stairs to the basement. Quietly making their way downstairs, they heard another gunshot. Tony winced, hurrying his footsteps.

 

They entered the large unfinished basement to see Deadpool, prying open the door of a cage that held five women. Tony recognized it as the one that Marvin had been transporting. A padlock, crushed by a bullet, lay uselessly on the floor. 

 

Peter and Tony moved as quietly as they could behind some crates on the back wall of the open room.  They watched as Deadpool reached into the cage with his hand palm up. “Come on,” he said, surprisingly gently.

 

“Wh-where are you taking us?” one of the younger-looking girls asked fearfully. 

 

“Out of this hell hole.”

 

The women exchanged glances.“I’m not going from one trafficker to another,” one of the women spat. “You’ll have to kill me.”

 

Deadpool put his hands up. “I’m letting you go.  _ Really _ .”

 

They still seemed skeptical. 

 

Deadpool dropped his gun, kicking it out of reach across the room. Several of the girls’ eyes widened. “Seriously,” Deadpool said. 

 

With that, the women palpably relaxed. The younger girl even began to cry with relief, thanking Deadpool through her sniffling. 

 

Deadpool waved her off, taking her hand and helping her from the cage. The others followed. 

 

“I can call the cops, but honestly I don’t put much stock in them these days,” said Deadpool. “I’d suggest you call family or friends if you have them. Otherwise, I know a decent shelter.” He produced a cell phone from his pocket, handing it to the young girl still clinging to his hand. “Here. Use this.”

 

The girl took the phone. “There’s no service down here,” she said, heading for the stairs. 

 

“Uh-wait! Wait. Don’t… uh… go through the main entrance. There’s a side door if you take the hallway to your right.”

 

The girl hesitated. “You killed them, didn’t you?”

 

“Yeah,” said Deadpool awkwardly. “Just didn’t want you to have to see.”

 

“It won’t bother me,” said the girl darkly. She started up the stairs and the others followed one by one. Deadpool sighed, but made no move to stop them. 

 

Tony looked to Peter and nodded as the two of them took the opportunity to approach Deadpool. Tony powered up one of his gauntlets with a whine. “What are you doing here?”

 

Deadpool jumped comically. “Well bless my sorry ass. It’s  _ Iron Man! _ ” He cocked his head in confusion. “Don’t recognize the other dude.”

 

“S-spider-Man,” Peter said in a voice embarrassingly close to a squeak.

 

“Why do you have a peri-pubescent sidekick?” Deadpool demanded of Tony. “Oh god, please don’t tell me he’s your--?”

 

Tony put his arm out to stop Peter from responding, interrupting Deadpool. “Look-- just answer me. Why are you here?”

 

“Same reason you’re here, I expect,” said Deadpool casually, producing a hunting knife from his pocket and twirling it around his hand. “Trying to clean up this bad, bad world.”

 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You’re a merc.”

 

“Didn’t say I was doing it for free. Your boy Marvin up there had a _ huge _ price on his head that I’m about to go collect on, so if you’ll excuse me…”

 

Tony blocked his way. “We have enough to worry about without you mowing people down for money. I had intel that Marvin was part of a larger group, and now I can’t question him because  _ you _ put a bullet through his brain.”

 

Deadpool crossed his arms. “Don’t go all Iron-God on me. Last I checked, no one elected you leader of the Universe.”

 

Tony sighed. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Just stay out of our way.”

 

Deadpool put up his hands in mock surrender. “No promises, Tin-Man.” He then turned to the side, speaking to someone that Tony couldn’t see. “I  _ know _ , okay. Wait, what? Do you really think so?” Suddenly, Deadpool focused his gaze on Peter, turning his head back so abruptly that Peter jumped. “You were one of the ones who disappeared, didn’t you? You saw it too.”

 

Peter opened his mouth, but closed it abruptly, looking to Tony uncertainly. Tony said nothing, just set his jaw and put his hand on Peter’s shoulder.

 

Deadpool kept staring at Peter, as if expecting him to respond. Finally, he sighed, lazily waving at them as he headed up the stairs, still muttering to something only he could see.

 

***

 

“How did he know that I was one of the ones that disappeared in the snap?” Peter anxiously asked Tony on their way back to the compound after ensuring that all of the women had somewhere safe to go. 

 

“He didn’t,” said Tony shortly. “He was just trying to get a reaction. He had a 50% chance of being right, anyway.”

 

“Hmmm,” said Peter in response. He knew that Tony was right, but something still unnerved him about how certain Deadpool had seemed. “Why was he talking to himself, do you think?”

 

“Voices in his head, I’m sure,” said Tony. “F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s profile says he’s mentally unstable.” 

 

Peter mulled this over for a moment before changing the subject back to Marvin. “Why were there so many guys there? We only saw Marvin on the footage.”

 

“He must have had the warehouse set up as a meeting place with his underlings. Or maybe with --customers.”

 

“Oh,” Peter said, softly. “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

 

Tony didn’t need to ask who he meant. “I hope so, kiddo.”

 

“Was Marvin really working with other people?”

 

Tony nodded. “He’s definitely higher up in the organization, but this sex trafficking ring is much bigger than him. I was hoping to get a new lead from Marvin, but I’ll have to think of something else.”

 

“I want to keep helping,” said Peter. 

 

Tony frowned. Peter looked earnest, and Tony had to admit that seeing him this inquisitive again was a profound relief. He’d asked Tony more questions in the last five minutes than he had in the last several months. “Okay, bud. I’ll let you know if there’s anything more you can do to help.”

 

Peter gave Tony a small smile. “I’m gonna go visit with May for a little bit, okay?”

 

Tony felt his heart constrict painfully. “Okay, Pete. I’m here if you need me.”

 

Peter nodded, leaving Tony’s room and heading for the med bay. Tony knew that he should respect the kid’s privacy, but he couldn’t help himself. He pulled up the video feed of the med bay, watching with bated breath as Peter entered the room where May Parker had lived since returning from the soul realm.

 

“Hey, May,” said Peter as he approached the armchair where May sat reading. 

 

Predictably, painfully, Tony watched as May responded the same way she always did when anyone entered her room. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think please!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is a little shorter and is basically just fluff for my angst but next chapter will be more substantial!

“And you’ve never seen this guy before?” Steve asked, brow furrowed as Tony described his encounter with Deadpool.

 

Tony shook his head. “Apparently he’s a product of the Weapon X program. Regenerates and everything. He’s got quite the international reputation as an assassin.” 

 

Steve frowned. “You let him go?”

 

“What was I gonna do, call the cops?” said Tony defensively.  “What’s left of them are pretty corrupt these days. And it definitely wasn’t worth the effort to drag him back here.”

 

“He’s dangerous, Tony,” said Steve, shaking his head in disagreement. “We need this guy off the streets.”

 

“I don’t necessarily disagree,” said Tony. “But I don’t have time for this. I’m in over my head with this human trafficking ring.”

 

“I wasn’t asking  _ you _ to do it.”

 

“If you really think it’s worth it,” Tony replied indifferently. He turned, walking away from Steve.

 

Steve grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him. “Tony...you look awful.”

 

“Would everyone stop telling me that?!” Tony shrugged Steve’s hand off. “I’m  _ fine. _ ”

 

“When was the last time you got a decent night’s sleep?”

 

Tony frowned, genuinely trying to remember. “I--I’v’e been busy.”

 

“You’ve been obsessed,” Steve corrected. “Ever since you took on this human trafficking ring, you’ve barely slept.”

 

“It’s important,” said Tony acidly. 

 

Steve blinked in surprise. “Of course it is, Tony. I never said--”

 

“You don’t get it,” said Tony. “You just-- _ dont. _ ”

 

“Of course I get it, Tony. You think I don’t know how this feels? We did everything we could to reverse what happened only to find out that there are some things that are just… irreversible.”

 

Tony swallowed thickly. “Yeah,” he muttered, willing himself to pull it together.

 

Steve paused. “How’s the kid’s aunt?”

 

Not for the first time, Tony was visited by the suspicion that Steve could read his mind. He sighed. “The same.”

 

Steve put his hand on Tony’s shoulder again. “Working yourself to death isn’t going to change what happened. No one can fix this alone. Not even Iron Man.”

 

Tony grumbled non-commitedly, half-waving to Steve as he ambled to his room to finally collapse on his bed. His body was exhausted, but his mind was still careening out of control. He willed himself to sleep and was finally beginning to nod off when he heard it. Peter. Screaming. Again. He sat up straight, listening with bated breath for Peter’s screams to subside. Usually, he stopped within a couple of minutes, but this time it seemed interminable. Unable to bear it any longer, Tony crept out of bed, crossed the hall, and opened Peter’s door a fraction of the way. “Pete?” he asked softly.

 

Peter didn’t seem to hear him. As Tony entered the teenager’s bedroom, he saw that Peter was thrashing around, coated in a sheen of sweat, his fists balled around his sheets. For a pulse-stopping moment, Tony thought he was having a seizure. “F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” he croaked. “Is he--?”

 

“Night terror, boss,” said the AI. “No sign of abnormal heart or brain activity.”

 

As if on cue, Peter let out another yell. Tony gritted his teeth and approached Peter’s bed. “Peter!”

 

Peter showed no sign at all that he’d heard Tony. 

 

“Peter!” he yelled again, louder this time. 

 

Peter continued to thrash. 

 

Tony seized Peter’s shoulders and shook him. “PETER!” he shouted. 

 

Finally, Peter responded. His eyes snapped open, and he reached out, shoving Tony away with all of his considerable strength. 

 

Tony sprawled on the ground, shocked at the sudden outburst from Peter. He scrambled to his feet to see Peter, sitting upright, breathing heavily. He blinked confusedly as Tony rose to his feet. “M-Mr. Stark? What are you doing in here?”

 

“You were screaming your head off, Pete,” said Tony, massaging his shoulder where it’d made contact with the hardwood floor. “I was just coming to see if you were alright.”

 

Peter flushed dully, suddenly looking deeply embarrassed. “I’m sorry I woke you,” he mumbled. “What are you doing on the ground?”

 

“You--uh. Threw me a bit. I scared you when I woke you.”

 

Peter closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands. “I’m sorry.”

 

Tony seated himself on the edge of Peter’s bed, and, deciding to throw caution to the wind, asked, “What was the dream about, Peter?”

 

Peter said nothing. He was silent for so long that Tony was quite surprised when he finally spoke. “I was  back on Titan,” said Peter, not lifting his head from his hands. “I knew what was coming. I tried to stop it. But how do you stop--” Peter trailed off, swallowing hard before continuing. “I was alone. It happened so slowly. I felt every little part of me turn to ash. It was in my mouth, I was choking on it. It was filling my nose. I couldn’t breathe…”  

 

Tony tensed, reaching out to put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, but thought better of it, pulling back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Peter, I’m so sorry--”

 

“No, Mr. Stark, it wasn’t your fault--”

 

“Peter--”   
  


“Really, Mr. Stark, I’m okay…”

 

Tony reached out, taking Peter by the shoulders until Peter raised his head from his hands to look up at him. 

 

“I should have saved you,” said Tony, unable to contain the crushing guilt that he’d grappled with ever since he saw Peter turn to ash.  “I should have _ been able _ to save you.”

 

Peter pulled away as though he’d been slapped. “Don’t say that. It’s not your fault.”

 

“Peter, you were my responsibility. I was supposed to take care of you.”

 

Peter was crying now, tears falling thickly down his face. “Don’t. D-don’t, b-b-because--if this is your fault… then what h-h-happened to May is my f-f-fault.”

 

“What?” said Tony, completely taken aback. “Of course it isn’t, Peter.”

 

“I promised h-him, Mr. Stark. I p-promised my Uncle Ben that I would take care of her. I t-told him when I visited his grave, after his f-funeral.” 

 

Tony just stared at Peter’s stricken face as a broken sob escaped him. He sighed heavily. “Come here, kiddo.”

 

Peter’s face crumpled as he reached out for Tony, burying his head in his mentor’s Black Sabbath t-shirt. “Okay, kid. Okay,” said Tony somewhat awkwardly, painfully aware that he had no idea how to comfort a grieving teenager when he himself was still struggling in the aftermath of Thanos. He patted the kid’s back in what he hoped was a comforting way and said, simply, “It’s not your fault.”

 

Peter tensed, sniffling. “It’s not yours either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think/give constructive criticism! I live for your comments (:


	3. Chapter 3

Steve had no trouble tracking down the man calling himself Deadpool. Subtlety wasn’t exactly the merc’s specialty. One night, Steve managed to follow Deadpool to an abandoned alleyway in Hell’s Kitchen, where he found him sitting on top of a dumpster with his mask pulled up over his mouth and nose. He was eating a taco and swinging his legs back and forth, humming contentedly to himself.

 

Steve wasn’t sure what he expected the masked mercenary to be doing down this alleyway, but it wasn’t  _ that.  _ In spite of himself, he stopped just to stare at the man. Without warning, Deadpool began talking. At first, Steve thought that he had somehow noticed his presence in the alley despite his best attempts to be stealthy, but he quickly realized that he was merely talking to himself. 

 

“I know, I know. You’ve told me that already,” said Deadpool. He paused, cocking his head. “Yes, I’m sure 

we got the right one.” He paused again. “I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING,” he yelled, cracking the taco shell in his outburst. “Damn it,” he muttered. “Look what you made me do…” Deadpool tried to salvage his now dismantled taco but in the end stuffed the entire thing unceremoniously into his mouth. 

 

Steve  knew from Tony’s briefing that this guy was unstable, but he was still caught off guard by his insane monologue. Finally, Steve cleared his throat, stepping out into the alleyway. 

 

Deadpool looked up. “Captain America,” he said, clearly startled. Or at least, Steve _thought_ that was what he said. Deadpool’s mouth was so full of taco it was a wonder he could say anything at all. Deadpool swallowed. “Why am I suddenly on the Avengers’ radar?” he complained. “Isn’t there enough terrible shit happening in this city without you wasting manpower on me? I’m practically doing your jobs for you.”

 

Steve narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “We disagree with your methods.”

 

Deadpool snorted. “And where were you guys with your superior methods when the world went to hell? When the riots started?”

 

“You know perfectly well where we were,” snapped Steve.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” said Deadpool airily. “Out saving the Universe while the regular people on your home turf suffered.” He suddenly jumped down from the dumpster, stretching ostentatiously. “Look, I like you, okay? That whole punching Hitler in the face bit was classic. You’re a real American hero. Not to mention a regulation hottie. But don’t go acting like you can suddenly start giving me orders.”

 

Steve sighed. “You’re right,” he said quietly with a pang of shame. “Things here… we lost track of them. We were so focused on reversing what had happened that we let home slip through our fingers.” He frowned. “But, there’s still a right way to do things. And a wrong way. Help us. We could use you.” 

 

Deadpool shook his head, positively giggling. “Oh, man,” he said. “You really had me going there.” 

 

“I’m serious,” said Steve, extending his hand to shake Deadpool’s. “Do things our way. Join us.”

 

“I’ll be damned,” said Deadpool quietly, inspecting Steve’s hand suspiciously. “You really  _ are  _ serious.” He sighed. “You guys must be desperate. Thanks but no thanks, Cap. I don’t play well with others. But again, big fan. Nothing personal.”

 

Steve shook his head, taking his shield off his back. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you to continue doing what you’re doing. I really didn’t want to have to do this,” he said simply. 

 

Deadpool crouched into a fighting stance, unsheathing his katanas. “Really? ‘Cause this is definitely one of my top ten fantasies.”

 

Steve rushed at Deadpool, pulling back his shield to throw it at the mercenary. To his shock, Deadpool did not try to evade his attack. He didn’t even strike with his katanas. Instead, he rushed forward to meet Steve, and slammed his head into Steve’s with all the force he could muster. Blood began pouring from the mercenary’s nose as Steve’s vision went blurry. Deadpool’s blood began streaming down Steve’s forehead as the the mercenary pulled his head back and collided with Steve again. 

 

“What the  _ hell  _ was that?” Steve grappled Deadpool, holding him at arm’s length to prevent another onslaught. 

 

“I broke my nose,” said Deadpool simply. “On your face.”

 

“ _ Why _ ?” 

 

“It was Yellow’s idea,” said Deadpool, his voice thick with the sound of his broken nose. His mask was still lifted over his nose and mouth from eating tacos, and blood was pouring down over his mouth and pooling onto his neck.

 

“ _ Who _ ?” asked Steve dazedly. Things had taken such a bizarre turn that he was starting to wonder if he might have a concussion. Was that even _ possible  _ for him?

 

Through the haze of pain, Steve heard the distant sound of approaching footsteps. He grabbed Deadpool by the front of his suit, hauling him in close. “Were you meeting someone here?”

 

“Not exactly,” said Deadpool, his voice sounding improbably better. His healing factor really  _ was _ good. Steve regarded him warily. “My next target is involved in a drug deal that’s supposed to go down here tonight.”

 

Steve whirled around, dragging Deadpool behind a dumpster and forcing him to the ground. 

 

“Honestly, I usually make a guy buy me dinner first, but--” Deadpool began. 

 

“Shut up,” Steve hissed as the footsteps moved closer. 

 

A young man moved into the alleyway, illuminated faintly by the single flickering lightbulb of a grimy streetlight. He was fidgeting and visibly sweating, looking around nervously. Steve wouldn’t peg him as older than 21. A kid, really. 

 

“ _ He’s  _ your target?” hissed Steve in disgust. 

 

“Of course not,” Wade hissed back indignantly. No sooner had he spoken than another man ambled into the alleyway, projecting an absolute aura of menace. He looked around carefully before approaching the kid, who visibly paled as the man drew nearer.

 

“I-I’ve g-g-got your order, sir.”

 

The man looked around again. “You didn’t tell anyone where you were going did you?”

 

“‘C-course not,” the younger man stuttered. 

 

The older man flashed a wicked grin. “Excellent.” He drew a gun from his pocket, pressing the barrel to the kid’s forehead. “Drop my order,” he said. 

 

The kid started shaking violently, pleading with the older man. “Wait, no! P-p-please! I’m--I’m not--”

 

“Sorry, kid,” said the man in a bored monotone. “Me and Goldstein have an agreement. Better for business, see? The last courier we used ended up squealin’. Put Goldstein away for quite a little while, he did.” The older man spat on the ground, cocking the gun. 

 

“No! N-no! I sw-swear, I didn’t--”

 

“And you won’t,” the older man interrupted. “Save your begging, kid.”

 

Deadpool moved almost imperceptibly beside Steve, sliding a gun from his holster. In one fluid motion,  Deadpool lurched out from behind the dumpster and killed the older man with a perfect headshot. 

 

The younger man screamed as blood splattered him. He dropped the small bag of drugs from his shaking hands and backed away as quickly as he was able from the dead body. “Wh-what… who--wh-why-- “

 

Deadpool interrupted him with a surprisingly gentle voice. “It’s alright. You’re okay now.”

 

The young man, far from looking reassured, raised his shaking hands in a gesture of surrender.

 

“Seriously,” said Deadpool, lowering his gun. “It’s alright.”

 

The kid slowly lowered his hands. He was white as a sheet and sweating profusely. 

 

“How did you get mixed up with Goldstein?” Deadpool asked quietly.

 

The kid swallowed hard, shuddering. “I d-didn’t want to. My mom has been doing everything she can to keep things together since my d-dad was murdered in the snap riots. But my little brother and sister go to bed hungry almost every night. She can’t find a stable job since everything’s gone to hell. I--I wanted to help.”

 

Deadpool sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What’s your name, kid?”

 

“S-Sean,” Sean mumbled. “Sean Samuels.”

 

“Not anymore it’s not,” said Deadpool firmly. “Sean Samuels is dead. Finn Snyder got to him before I could take him out.”

 

Sean’s eyes widened. He looked involuntarily at the body between him and Deadpool. “We don’t have anywhere to go.”

 

“I have a guy I trust who can help you and your family get new identities,” said Deadpool. “As for the rest, I’ll split Snyder’s bounty with you. How’s 100 grand sound?”

 

The boy’s mouth dropped open. “B-but--”

 

Deadpool shushed him. He recited an address. “Meet me there tomorrow morning at 7, okay? Bring your family.”

 

Sean nodded frantically.

 

Deadpool reached down and picked up the cocaine lying on the ground. He brought it up to his face, lifted his mask, and sniffed it. “That’s some good shit, I can tell,” he said, pocketing the drugs. “That’s gonna be a fun time later.”

 

Sean stared at Deadpool. 

 

“What are you still doing here?” Deadpool snapped. “Go get your shit and your family like I said!”

 

Sean took off sprinting. 

 

Deadpool looked around at Steve, who had been watching the exchange in utter bewilderment. “What are you looking at _? _ ”

 

“I just--” Steve trailed off. This man was clearly insane. Unstable. Violent. But he was also unexpectedly kind with his own peculiar moral code. Steve had underestimated him, plain and simple. He cleared his throat and changed tactics. “So… Goldstein. I’ve heard of him. Even tried tracking him down at one point.”

 

Deadpool snorted. “You’ll never get to Goldstein. Believe me, I’ve tried. He’s got the highest tech security in the World, not to mention an unending supply of cronies.”

 

“You’re right. I can’t get to him. Not alone.”

 

Deadpool cocked his head to the side. “If you’re suggesting what I think you are, I’m not playing by your rules.”

 

Steve sighed, running his hand over his face. “I know.”


End file.
